Archive of all posts | In Custodia Legis

A black and white photograph of a group of seals in Alaska on a rocky ledge overlooking many seals in the ocean.

The History of the Alaskan Fur Trade and Wildlife Conservation Regulation

December 18, 2025

Digital Resources Division intern Trisha Baillon brings us a historical perspective of Alaska in its early mentions in United States legislative history. Spanning multiple collections and of interest to many nations, the fur-seal fisheries inspired many treaties, laws, and reports on conservation efforts.

Posted in: Collections, Guest Post, Law Library

A black and white map of the Colorado River Basin, which shows the river basin providing water to the states of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California, as well as Mexico.

The History and Legacy of the Colorado River Storage Project

December 10, 2025

Posted by: Bailey DeSimone

Digital Resources Division intern Josh Primus outlines the origins of the Colorado River Storage Project and its legal impacts on negotiations among the states that share its water supply.

Posted in: Collections, Guest Post, Law Library

A color engraving of a common yellowthroat warbler and a yellow-breasted warbler resting on tree branches.

Bird-Friendly Laws: Reducing Collisions in Major U.S. Cities

November 28, 2025

Posted by: Bailey DeSimone

Digital Resources Division Intern Em Merrick takes us through an overview of collisions - a leading cause of endangerment for birds - and the local and state laws taking effect to protect this species.

Posted in: Collections, Guest Post, Law Library

Close-up photograph of an outstretched palm holding sunflower seeds. Beside the hand, a chipmunk nibbled on a seed, holding its paws close to its chubby cheeks.

St. Elmo, Colorado – Administering a Ghost Town

September 17, 2025

Posted by: Bailey DeSimone

After passing through a ghost town, Bailey researches the town's history and state administration laws regarding abandoned or mostly abandoned historical sites.

Posted in: Law Library, Pic of the Week

A screenshot of the interactive map, The United States at a Glance. The world map is in grayscale, with the US states and territories highlighted and clickable in orange. A blue timeline runs along the bottom of the screen, and an introductory pop-up window opens on the right side of the screen.

Explore the Greater United States in the Law Library’s New Interactive Map

September 15, 2025

Posted by: Bailey DeSimone

Introducing the newest interactive map, the Law Library presents a new and engaging way to learn about the legislative history of the states and territories of the United States through our Guide to Law Online and Statutes at Large collection.

Posted in: Collections, Law Library

Photograph of a plaque with gold lettering affixed to the side of a building. Text reads: "Bizzell Library has been designated a National Historic Landmark - This site possesses national significance in commemorating the history of the United States of America. 2001. National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior."

Pic of the Week – Bizzell Memorial Library, Historic Landmark and Home to Library of Congress History

July 16, 2025

Posted by: Bailey DeSimone

Bailey visits the University of Oklahoma and comes across the campus's stunning Bizzell Memorial Library and its exhibits.

Posted in: Collections, Pic of the Week

A screenshot from the interactive map feature of the Story Map, with a color-coded map on the right side. A pop-up is clicked on, displaying information for the Principality of Andorra. On the right are links to respective countries' Guides to Law Online.

Explore Modern Monarchies through the Law Library’s Newest Story Map

July 7, 2025

Posted by: Bailey DeSimone

Learn more about modern systems of monarchies across the world in the Law Library's newest Story Map.

Posted in: Collections, Global Law, Law Library

A network graph, spiral shaped, depicting the number of treaties between the US (central node) and other jurisdictions, based on the thickness of the edge and the node, as well as the color. Dark blue, thick edges with larger nodes indicate jurisdictions with more treaties, lighter turquoise, thinner edges with small nodes represent jurisdictions with fewer treaties.

Visualizing the Collections: United States Treaties and Other International Agreements

June 6, 2025

Posted by: Bailey DeSimone

Explore the scope of the Law Library's U.S. Treaties and Other International Agreements Collection in two data visualizations.

Posted in: Collections, Law Library

A screenshot of an interactive world map, color-coded by the number of technologies used by each jurisdiction. In this example, the pop-up window for Germany is open, with a turquoise outline around Germany's border indicating that it was clicked.

The Law Library Launches its First Interactive Map

November 22, 2024

Posted by: Bailey DeSimone

The Law Library's first interactive map is live - and it covers 89 jurisdictions. Explore the new map and how it represents the information represented in the associated legal report, Innovative technology in legislatures in selected countries.

Posted in: Collections, Global Law, Law Library, Legal Reports

Archive of all 58 Posts